7/27/2004 - Football
2004 Navy Football Preview

The 2003 season was one to remember for the Navy football program. The Midshipmen posted an 8-5 record and played in the EV1.net Houston Bowl after producing a 3-30 record the previous three years. It marked just the third winning season in the last 20 years for Navy and the eight wins equaled the win total for the previous four years combined.
Included in those eight wins were victories over Air Force and Army, giving Navy the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 1981, and the victory over the 25th ranked Falcons was the Mids first over a ranked opponent since 1985. Navy's improvement from 2-10 to 8-5 was the second-best turnaround in the country, while the Mids became just the sixth team in NCAA history to go from winless to a bowl game in two years.

As tough as it was for head coach Paul Johnson to turn around the fortunes of the Navy football program, it may be even tougher to repeat that success as Navy has not had back-to-back winning seasons since 1996-97, won the CIC trophy in back-to-back years since winning it four-straight years from '78-'81 and have gone to back-to-back bowl games just once in school history (1980-81).

"This will be a challenging year and it will be interesting to see how our guys react to having a little bit of success last year," said Johnson. "It will be up to them on how good they want to be. If they are willing to put in the hard work over the summer like last year's team did, then we will have a chance to win some football games. We need to continue to raise the expectation level. This year's team hasn't accomplished anything yet."

Johnson will have some experienced players to work with as the Mids return 41 letterwinners, including 15 starters, off last year's squad. The Mids return 25 letterwinners and seven starters on offense, while the defense returns 16 letterwinners and eight starters.
The following is a breakdown of the 2004 Midshipmen by position.

Quarterback
After backing up the record-breaking Craig Candeto over the last two years, senior Aaron Polanco (6-0, 208) will finally get his chance to run Navy's vaunted triple option attack.
Polanco had a nondescript junior campaign, seeing action in seven games, mostly in a mop-up role. Polanco carried the ball 31 times for 173 yards and one touchdown, while completing eight of his 20 passes for 98 yards.

It's what Polanco did as a sophomore that has Navy fans excited and the coaching staff optimistic. He played in nine games in relief of Candeto, rushing for 211 yards and seven touchdowns on just 74 carries and completing 21 of his 47 pass attempts for 253 yards.
Polanco saw his most significant playing time in 2002 against undefeated Notre Dame, when he came in to start the second series of the game after Candeto went down with an injury. Polanco nearly led the Mids to one of the biggest upsets in school history, as he rushed for two touchdowns in Navy's heartbreaking 30-23 loss.

Polanco will be backed up by junior Lamar Owens (5-9, 185) and sophomore Brian Hampton (6-0, 202).

Owens has been hobbled by injuries for most of his career, but had a great performance in the annual spring game (168 yards passing and one rushing touchdown) and solidified his position as the number-two quarterback.

Hampton was a key contributor as a kick returner last year, but was moved back to quarterback in the spring and was impressive enough to earn the the right to stay there. Hampton has a strong arm and is a punishing runner.

"I think Aaron had a good spring and we're excited to see what he can do," said Johnson. "Lamar Owens played very well in the spring game, probably the best he's played since he's been here. I was encouraged by the play of some of the freshmen. Brian Hampton had a good spring and Eddie Martin (6-0, 177) has some things he can do and we have some good guys coming in. It's Aaron's job to lose and we will see how he handles it."

Fullbacks
All-America candidate senior Kyle Eckel (5-11, 240) returns at fullback and will be backed up by senior Michael Brimage (5-7, 206), sophomore Matt Hall (5-9, 221) and junior Marvin Dingle (5-11, 223).

Eckel had a breakout junior campaign, rushing for 1,249 yards and eight touchdowns. His 1,249 yards rushing is the sixth-best single-season mark in school history, while his seven 100-yard rushing days tied for the fourth most in Navy history. Eckel was at his best against the fellow service academies, rushing for 176 yards and a touchdown against Air Force and running for 152 yards and two touchdowns against Army.

Brimage battled a foot injury all of last year, but still managed to rush for 146 yards and a touchdown. When healthy, Brimage can be a productive back as he proved his sophomore year when he rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown against Wake Forest.
Hall was one of the more impressive players in spring practice and will push Brimage and Eckel for playing time.

Dingle saw action in every game last year on special teams and is the Mids' fastest fullback.

"This is probably the deepest position on the team," said Johnson. "We have Kyle coming back, who is coming off a good year, Michael Brimage has played some, Matt Hall had a great spring and Marvin Dingle has some experience. With those four guys and Adam Ballard coming down from the prep school, we should have pretty good depth there."

Slot backs
Nobody makes more big plays in Johnson's triple option attack than the slot backs. Last year, Navy's slot backs averaged 9.1 yards per rush and 21.8 yards per catch. Don't be surprised if this year's group surpasses those numbers.

All-America candidate senior Eric Roberts (5-10, 194) returns as a starter at one slot back. Roberts is one of the most explosive players to ever play at the Naval Academy, making big plays with stunning regularity.

Last year, Roberts rushed for 630 yards and five touchdowns on just 69 carries and caught 20 passes for 493 yards and five touchdowns. Five of his 10 touchdowns were of 40 yards or more, including a 69-yard touchdown run against Rice and an 86-yard touchdown reception against Central Michigan.

Roberts, who has averaged 8.6 yards per carry and 24.9 yards per catch for his career, enters the 2004 campaign just 78 receiving yards away from becoming the first player in school history to have 1,000-career yards rushing and receiving.

Senior Frank Divis (6-0, 225) and sophomore Trey Hines (5-9, 195) will join Roberts to give the Mids a potent trio at slot back. Divis, a terrific blocker, played in every game last year and rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown. Hines played in 12 of Navy's 13 games and scored three touchdowns on just 13 carries.

Junior Marco Nelson (5-8, 185), sophomore Byron McCoy (5-9, 196) and senior Ryan Barry (6-0, 212) all have the ability to make a contribution. Nelson was one of the stars of the spring game, catching four passes for 102 yards in leading his team to an overtime victory.

"This might be the most athletic group since I've been here," said Johnson. "We have to replace Tony Lane, who was consistent for us, but Frank Divis has played some, Eric Roberts has been the big-play guy for us the last couple of years and Trey Hines has a tremendous up side. We haven't had a guy as big and fast as Trey Hines in a long time."

Wide Receivers
The Mids return seniors Amir Jenkins (6-1, 208) and Lionel Wesley (5-11, 188) as starters at wide out.

The duo has been very consistent for the Midshipmen over the past two years, both catching the ball and blocking. Jenkins caught 14 passes for 252 yards last fall, while Wesley caught 13 passes for 131 yards.

Navy will have solid depth, as all four backups saw action last fall.

Junior Mick Yokitis (6-2, 220) had maybe the biggest catch of the year when he snared a 10-yard Craig Candeto pass on third-and-nine early in the fourth quarter against Air Force that kept alive a game-clinching scoring drive.

Junior Corey Dryden (6-3, 221) has the speed to be an effective downfield threat and the size to be a good blocker on the perimeter. Dryden played in nine games last year.

A pair of sophomores, Jason Tomlinson (6-2, 189) and Jeremy McGown (6-0, 186), give the Mids big-play potential.

Tomlinson played in every game as a freshman and caught 10 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown.

McGown, who came to Navy as a quarterback, was switched to wide receiver last September and was effective as a kick returner late in the year. In the EV1.net Houston Bowl, McGown was named the Special Teams Player of the Game for his 105 yards in kickoff returns.

"Wide receiver is another position where we are really, really deep," said Johnson. "We have guys who have played. Amir Jenkins and Lionel Wesley are two-year starters, Yokitis has played a lot, certainly Corey Dryden is in the mix and then you have the two young guys, Jason Tomlinson and Jeremy McGown. They might be the two most talented guys at the position."

Offensive Line
For the first time in a long time, it looks like the Mids might have some depth on the offensive line. Senior guard Dennis Ray Phillips (6-4, 285), senior center August Roitsch (6-1, 270) and senior tackle Casey Hughes (6-4, 252) all return as starters, while senior tackle Tyson Stahl (6-4, 267) and junior tackle/center Marshall Green (6-1, 265) have seen significant playing time.

Hughes played in every game last year and started in six of the last-seven games at right tackle, while Stahl played in 11 of Navy's 13 games and earned his first-career start in Navy's upset win at Vanderbilt.

Green was switched from center to tackle to give the Mids more versatility. Green started the final-three games last year at center and could move back if necessary. Senior Sam Brown (6-3, 259) and sophomores Matt Pritchett (6-2, 260) and Brian Rutledge (6-3, 253) round out the depth at tackle.

Phillips started every game at left guard last fall and returns to anchor the interior of the offensive line.
Senior Matt McLaughlin (6-1, 270) had an impressive spring and won the starting job at right guard,while he will be backed up by veteran Kevin Schwind (6-1, 280), who moved over from nose guard in the spring.

Sophomores Zach Gallion (6-3, 295) and Josh Oates (6-4, 289), along with senior Scott Szurovy (6-0, 282) could also see playing time.

Roitsch started the final-three games at center as a sophomore and the first-four games as a junior before suffering an injury that cost him the rest of the year. A couple of promising sophomores, James Rossi (6-1, 279) and Cole Smith (6-0, 270), will serve as Roitsch's backups.

"What you try to do on the offensive line is come out of spring ball two deep at every position," said Johnson. "I think moving Kevin Schwind over to guard will help us with our depth and I thought Matt McLaughlin had a good spring. Dennis Ray Phillips and August Roitsch are solid, Casey Hughes had a decent year last year as a starter and Tyson Stahl had a really good spring at the other tackle. We need to find a way to get Marshall Green in there somewhere and Zach Gallion may play some, so we may be eight or nine deep there, which is probably as good as we've been."

Defensive Line
The coaches feel the move of junior Jeremy Chase (6-2, 250) from linebacker to defensive end could have a major impact on the defensive line. Chase was considered a good linebacker, but has the potential to be a force at defensive end. Chase played in all 13 games last year, starting five, and recorded 66 tackles, including four sacks.

Opposite Chase will be senior Jeff Vanak (6-1, 247), who became a starter at defensive end last year the week of the season opener against VMI and ended up starting every game. Vanak finished the year with 40 tackles, including six for a loss.

Seniors Pierre Moss (6-0, 249), Adam Horne (5-11, 236) and Sean McElhannon (6-1, 250) and promising sophomore John Chan (6-1, 247) will vie for playing time behind Chase and Vanak.

Senior Babatunde Akingbemi (6-0, 282) returns as the starter at nose guard. Akingbemi played in all 13 games a year ago and started nine. He recorded 28 tackles and 3.5 tackles for a loss. Akingbemi will be backed up by junior Dan Wendolowski (6-2, 254) and sophomore David Wright (6-3, 250).

"Moving Jeremy Chase to the defensive line certainly helps our athleticism up front," said Johnson. "We have good competition at nose guard with Akingbemi, Wendolowski and David Wright and at the other end with Vanak and Chan. We also have some older guys who have played in Moss, Horne and McElhannon that will give us some depth."

Linebackers
The Mids will certainly miss the big-play ability of three-year starter Eddie Carthan, who graduated in the spring, but return three other starters in sophomore David Mahoney (5-10, 215), and seniors Bobby McClarin (5-11, 225) and Lane Jackson (5-11, 217).

Mahoney burst on to the scene in week five when he made his first-career start against Air Force and recorded a career-high 11 tackles. Mahoney played in every game last year and garnered four starts. He ended his freshman campaign with 53 tackles.

Senior Reggie Sealey (6-0, 230) will have the unenviable task of replacing Carthan at the other outside linebacker spot. Sealey has the talent to be a productive player if he can remain injury free, something that has plagued him his entire career.

Senior Ken Barkovich (5-11, 215), juniors Evan Beard (6-0, 238) and Jason Monts (6-1, 224) and sophomores Tye Adams (6-2, 217) and Tyler Tidwell (6-1, 204) will provide depth at outside backer.

McClarin and Jackson return inside to give the Mids the toughest duo of inside linebackers since Clint Bruce and Travis Cooley roamed the middle in 1996.

McClarin, who grew up in the steel mill town of Bethlehem, Pa., played in 10 games last year and started six. McClarin missed three games with a broken left hand, but played several other games with his hand wrapped in a boxing glove.

The play of the year by a Navy defender last season came when McClarin used his boxing glove covered hand (affectionately dubbed "The Club") to knock down an Air Force pass in the end zone, saving a touchdown. McClarin finished the year with 60 tackles and five tackles for a loss.

The equally-tough Jackson actually started the first-four games at outside linebacker last year before being switched inside. Although Jackson was effective outside, he became a force once he was moved inside, recording 12 tackles against Air Force and 11 each against Notre Dame and Central Michigan. Jackson finished the year with 95 tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss.

The Mids lost a little depth at inside linebacker with the move of Chase to the defensive line, but with the return of senior T.J. Costello (5-10, 230) and the emergence of sophomore Rob Caldwell (6-2, 214) and junior Jacob Biles (6-0, 225), the Mids should have no problem filling the vacancy. Senior Dustin Elliott (6-0, 235) and sophomore Joe Cylc (5-11, 224) could also see some time inside.

"We return Bobby McClarin and Lane Jackson inside, who have both played a bunch, and I thought Rob Caldwell, Jacob Biles and T.J. Costello all had good springs," said Johnson. "It wouldn't surprise me if a couple of the freshmen we have coming in make a run at some playing time inside, as well."

"At outside linebacker, I thought David Mahoney became one of our better players last year," said Johnson. "We have Reggie Sealey, Jason Monts, Tye Adams, Evan Beard and Tyler Tidwell all competing to step in and replace Carthan."

Secondary
The secondary will be led by a couple of seniors in safety and All-America candidate Josh Smith (6-2, 201) and corner Vaughn Kelley (6-1, 180).

Smith has been Navy's top defensive player the last-two seasons and was ranked as the 18th-best free safety in the country last year by The Sporting News. Last year, Smith recorded a team-high 108 tackles and intercepted a team-high four passes despite missing three games due to injury.

Kelley, who joins Smith as a three-year starter, has started 24 of Navy's last-25 games. Last fall, Kelley recorded 60 tackles, broke up five passes and forced a fumble.
The other corner will be manned by a couple of talented sophomores in Keenan Little (6-0, 194) and Hunter Reddick (6-2, 191). Little played in 12 games as a freshman, seeing most of his action on special teams and as a nickel back.

Reddick was projected to contribute significantly last year, but missed the early part of the season with a broken arm. He ended up playing five games, mostly on special teams.
Senior Lord Cole (5-10, 191) and sophomores Kerwin Scott (5-7, 179) and Dorian Smith (5-8, 180) will also compete for playing time. Cole won the Adm. Mack Award for the most improved player during spring ball.

Opposite Smith at safety is DuJuan Price, another in a long line of talented sophomores. Price played in the final-10 games last year and earned starts against Rice, Tulane and Army. He recorded a career-high 12 tackles and picked off a pass against Rice.
Others vying for time at safety include Reddick, juniors Luke Penrose (5-10, 187) and Cory Colistra (5-11, 187) and sophomore Clay Carter (6-3, 204).

"Josh Smith is the mainstay back there and Vaughn Kelley is going to end up being a three-year starter along with Josh," said Johnson. "DuJuan Price, Hunter Reddick and Keenan Little all saw some time, but it's a little bit of a concern that we will be so young back there. We also have some freshmen who will come in and compete for playing time, as well. Last year, by the third game, our whole second team in the secondary was freshmen, so it looks like we will be fairly young once again at that position.

Specialists
Johnson is confident that senior Geoff Blumenfeld (6-0, 169) will be solid on field goals and kickoffs, but is concerned about the punting game with the graduation of John Skaggs.
Blumenfeld was the starting kicker last year for the first- four games until a hip injury sidelined him. Blumenfeld, who will be backed up by sophomore Ethan Gouge (5-11, 169), made three of his six field-goal attempts and 11 of his 12 extra-point attempts last year.
Entering the fall, junior wide receiver Mick Yokitis (6-2, 220) is the starting punter and he will be backed up by junior Eric Shuey (5-10, 160), who was a place kicker on the sprint team last year.

Senior Andrew Bazzle (6-0, 220) and junior Matt Williams (6-0, 210) will handle the long snapping chores.

"Blumenfeld, I think, is proven, he's a proven commodity and I feel good about him," said Johnson. "The punting game is a huge question mark right now. Those guys are going to have to get better. They are going to have to have a huge summer and, honestly, we just have to get better there. We got ourselves caught here by losing a couple of guys at the prep school and now we're in a bind."